The Dispatch is reporting a huge decline in state payroll costs that can be directly attributed to Governor Strickland working WITH Public Employee Unions to implement cost saving measures including eliminating raises for state workers and requiring employees to take unpaid furlough (aka Cost-Savings) days.

Kent, Ohio - The Portage County TEA Party announced today that it condemns the move by Ohio Senate Republicans to replace Republican Senator Seitz with Republican Senator Hite to get Senate Bill 5 out of committee. After his replacement they then passed the bill out of committee by a 7-5 vote. Tom Zawistowski, Executive Director of the Portage County TEA Party said “Speaking as the leader of the Portage County TEA Party, I want to say that […]

Inserted into the last minute Omnibus Amendment was language specifically dealing with higher education that, like much of the last-minute page dump, was unexpected and only fully processed after passage. Full time faculty have had their current duties redefined as managerial, and are therefore ineligible for any collective bargaining unless they give up what are typically seen as basic faculty rights. Part time faculty and graduate student employees would now recognized as potential bargaining units (something they’ve been fighting for), […]

The Cincinnati Enquirer is now and has always been, as long as anyone can remember, been a conservative editorial board. They endorsed Ken Blackwell in 2006, even though they acknowledged his candidacy was a lost cause. They endorsed John Kasich in 2010.

It is shameful that Ohio Republicans pushed the SB5 collective bargaining bill through the Senate on Wednesday using the sort of tactics that congressional Democrats were justly criticized for using during the health-care reform debate.

Looks like y’all would like FAQ post on how a referendum works based on information pulled from the Ohio Secretary of State’s website. So, without further adieu, here’s how a bill signed by the Governor can cease to be a law.

Step 1: Jai Chabra find that executive pen with custom Italian craftsmanship that Kasich insists on signing all his economic crushing legislation with. Governor signs the bill and then sends it Secretary State to place his Seal and file. Shannon Jones gets souvenir pen from signing ceremony.

Here’s Congressman Tim Ryan and the head of the Ohio F.O.P. on the “Ed Show” on today’s SB 5 vote:

Senator LaRose is getting an earful on his campaign’s Facebook page with a belated rally from his Tea Party supporters.

LaRose actually voted to recommit the bill back to the committee… but then voted for the bill.

And something unusual happened today that nobody noticed. Typically when a major piece of “popular” legislation passes, there’s a Motion to Amend the Title… which is a parliamentary procedure in which legislators can actually add their names as co-sponsors […]